Disposable absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, adult incontinence products and feminine care products are designed to absorb and contain bodily waste to prevent soiling of the body and clothing. The disposable absorbent articles typically comprise a single design available in different sizes to fit a variety of wearers ranging from newborns to active toddlers. The design of the diaper typically affects performance, such as ability to absorb and contain bodily waste. The size of the diaper typically affects fit, for example, the size of the diaper waist opening, the size of the openings around the thighs, and the length or “pitch” of the diaper.
The problem with a one design fits all approach is that a single configuration may not be appropriate for every level of activity and capability. For instance, caregivers for newborns and immobile infants may desire a soft, yet bulky design which wraps the wearer and is gently on the wearer's skin whereas once the infant becomes actively mobile it may be more desirable to have a contoured trim fit design providing the wearer more freedom of movement. Other designs may also be desired as the toddler grows and becomes more and more capable of independent activity. For instance, a pull on diaper design may be beneficial for toddlers participating in the dressing experience. Similarly, a training diaper design may be appealing to a toddler in the toilet training stage which makes a wearer aware when a discharge of bodily waste has occurred while at the same time providing the necessary protection to the wearer's clothing. It is difficult to design a single product configuration exhibiting each of these attributes. Thus, there is a need for a variety of disposable diaper designs matching a particular wearer's capability and/or level of activity.
Although providing a variety of diaper designs matching an infant or toddler's capability and/or level of activity may meet a consumer need, physical sizes of infants and toddlers vary throughout their development. As a result, different product designs are preferably made available in the same sizes. For instance, a disposable diaper designed for a crawling toddler may be available in the same size as a configuration designed for a walking toddler and/or a configuration designed for a toddler participating in the dressing experience. Merchandising systems typically display and arrange disposable diapers according to size numbers.
This proliferation of disposable diaper offerings does have its drawbacks, however. In particular, store displays may include an abundance of disposable diaper products. For example, many manufacturers offer several versions of disposable diaper products in different “tiers” or “levels”. These could represent different sub-needs or different levels of technology with different corresponding price points. As a result, it can be confusing for consumers to select the proper product in terms of appropriate size/stage/features and an appropriate tier level and to navigate among the offerings for a desired product even if such basic information such as desired brand and size is known. In addition, consumers shopping for disposable diaper products often have babies or small children with them, resulting in less ability to intently focus upon the multiplicity of product offerings. As such, a consumer, given the overwhelming range of options, may select the wrong product (i.e., a product other than that intended) or a product which may not be optimum (i.e., wrong stage, wrong features, wrong size). Either could lead to a less than ideal use experience.
Thus, there remains a need for disposable absorbent articles and arrays of disposable absorbent articles, that make it easier for a caregiver to select a design from a variety of configurations that matches a particular wearer's needs.